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Why doesn't Apple use standard M.2 SSDs like everybody else?

T

tubeexperience

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Feb 17, 2016
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As the title said: Why doesn't Apple use standard M.2 SSDs like everybody else?

I know that someone is going to say that Apple's proprietary form factor precedes M.2, but at this point M.2 is standard.
 
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I would also like to know that... but its true that they are able to get better performance than anyone else. Maybe that's part of the reason?
 
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Kjung7 said:
I think it's because Apple gets better performance out of their SSDs
Click to expand...

leman said:
I would also like to know that... but its true that they are able to get better performance than anyone else. Maybe that's part of the reason?
Click to expand...

Definitely false.

For example, Samsung 960 Pro is faster than the SSD that Apple is using.
 
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tubeexperience said:
Definitely false.

For example, Samsung 960 Pro is faster than the SSD that Apple is using.
Click to expand...

Sorry if I'm incorrect, but isn't that the theoretical speed of the SSD? Once plugged in are those speeds actually achievable? I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant, I just really don't know PCs too well.
 
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$$$$$$$$ Force you to buy storage from them. Force you to buy a new motherboard if memory fails or you want to upgrade memory.
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
 
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My understanding is apple wanted the fastest SSD and I think they achieved this until recently.
No doubt Apple are working on improvements daily.
But having a non standard SSD also has made upgrading difficult and the soldering to the logic board more justified in their eyes.
Apple just dont want owners tinkering with their macs, unfortunately.
 
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argentum47 said:
Because vendor lock + irreplaceability = more $$
Click to expand...


basically.

See along time ago vendors would say oh...you can't use this drive/memory, it may not work. Bad things will happen we can't guarantee. Buy our stuff only...only its known good to work. I saw worse than apple tbh....Sun microsystems (when they were still Sun, loooong before Oracle buy out) had this down cold. RAM and drive prices were horrendous.

then at the time newish vendor like crucial (I remember when they were new, dating myself there because as my wife would jest no one else would lol...) and others came around. memory and drive configurator....we tested and we guarantee this drive/memory will work. Thus the vendor gouging was slowly taken away.


Parts you can't pick, soldered in just to make sure the response in time.

Or less tin foiley response would be apple when they put this out on the streets for contract, the vendor for this won the bidding wars and now you get them till the contract is done.
 
I don't apple engineers are sitting in a room and thinking lets create a product that can't be upgraded on purpose. Their obsession is design and performance usually leads them to seek out he best method to achieve that. Additionally based on the performance numbers the SSD in the new MacBook Pro 2016 is likely based on the Samsung 960 PRO since the performance numbers are identical with a custom controller from Apple to make it more energy efficient.
 
I think it 'killed two birds with one stone'.
Their strategic roadmap was clearly to stop owners upgrading but they wanted and still strive for the fastest SSD as well.
 
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Miltz said:
I don't apple engineers are sitting in a room and thinking lets create a product that can't be upgraded on purpose.
Click to expand...
Those decisions are made higher up. The hardware design engineers may propose multiple options (there are always options) but those product decision are made by the bean counters dominantly.

Bean counters run companies. Not engineers. Especially for consumer products. Bean Counter, Marketing, Engineering is that order.
 
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Point of failure!

Remove the socket take away a possible issue.

Also slimming down devices. Add the socket and you add thickness.
 
Gav2k said:
Point of failure!

Remove the socket take away a possible issue.

Also slimming down devices. Add the socket and you add thickness.
Click to expand...

I suspect that this has something to do with it. No socket also helps to reduce latency, although it's arguable if it would actually be noticed during routine daily use.

I'm inclined to believe that's more of a cost-driven move as opposed to anything else.

Proprietary technology like this helps to reduce support costs, thereby helping the company's bottom line. No need to deal with customers replacing the OEM drives or RAM modules and then bringing it in when something doesn't work right, or they broke a RAM socket or drive cable and need it fixed, etc.

There can be a fine line to walk between going all proprietary vs. all standard. I personally believe that Apple has leaned a bit too far to the former, but not to the point yet where I'd completely walk away.
 
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tubeexperience said:
As the title said: Why doesn't Apple use standard M.2 SSDs like everybody else?
Click to expand...
Because to they decided not too. Why dig deeper into a question that cannot be answered here. Not for nothing, but Apple has the fastest SSDs on the market, and it may be due in part to the proprietary nature.

One thing is clear, Apple has chosen a closed/sealed computer philosophy, so why question why about one component in that sealed environment?
 
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If they're moving to soldered SSDs then it doesn't really matter what interface they use does it?

Are there any benchmarks for laptops with the 960 Pro?
 
They're removable in the 13"

RVhJQBY.png[timg]
 
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robvas said:
They're removable in the 13"

RVhJQBY.png[timg]
Click to expand...

Just the non-TB 13" right?

Total speculation on my part, but I'm guessing that the non-TB 13" and the 13" with TB came through different development tracks. I'd guess that in the next generation this feature will be gone too.
 
xWhiplash said:
You are correct, just like all mechanical hard drives are SATA III, yet I JUST now got one that comes close to even breaking even with SATA II.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/10754/samsung-960-pro-ssd-review/4
Click to expand...

Exactly.

There isn't a laptop out yet, that I am aware of, that beats the MBP ssd speeds. Once this is achieve, we can gripe and claim apple is money hungry. They may very well be money hungry (they are), but at this moment their laptops achieve the best ssd speed on the market; which is one of the easiest was to see a "perceived" increase in speed.
 
Kjung7 said:
Sorry if I'm incorrect, but isn't that the theoretical speed of the SSD? Once plugged in are those speeds actually achievable? I'm sorry if this sounds ignorant, I just really don't know PCs too well.
Click to expand...

It comes pretty damn close.

Samsung-960-Pro-2TB-Crystal-Disk-Mark.png
 
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